Caring for Your Hamster Eyes and Ears
Caring for the Ears: Most hamsters do not need any help keeping their ears clean. Hamsters seem to take great pride in keeping themselves clean everyday. In reality, a hamster may spend up to 20 percent of their day grooming.
If your hamster’s ears seem red, inflamed, or infected you should take a closer look. You may also want to check the ears if your hamster is scratching excessively. Your hamster can also have ear mites. You can usually tell if you hamster has ear mites because you will see the small black parasites. If left untreated, they can result in serious issues for the hamster.
Contact your vet immediately if you notice your hamster scratching excessively, or if there is a lot of wax in the ear. You should also call your vet if you notice any discharge, redness, swelling, or odor coming from the ear. Your vet will be able to recommend a course of treatment of properly diagnosing your hamster. Do not simple assume that what you see in your hamster’s ears are ear mites. One way to check for ear mites is to take your hamster to a dark room and check the ears using a flashlight. You can also wipe your hamster’s ear with a white paper towel. Your hamster probably has ear mites if you can seem some small black dots moving around. Unless your are sure that what you are seeing are ear mites, avoid treating your hamster for ear mites on your own. Doing so can cause even more problems later on.
Although your hamster has poor eyesight, she has excellent hearing. She uses her hearing to be aware of what is going on around her. To prevent hearing loss make sure to you take proper care of your hamster’s ear and address any problems right away. If you hamster suffers from hearing loss she will become stress and disoriented.
Caring for the Eyes: Like her ears, your hamster does not need regular Caring for the Eyes. Your hamster’s eyes may get irritated sometimes. This is usually because of small particles of dust and bedding material getting into her eyes. If you see wet fur near your hamster’s eyes you should take a closer look. Watch for any squinting, discharge, or discoloration. Any of these can indicate an eye problem. Use a cotton swab and some warm water to clean the area around the eyes. Be very careful not to injure her eyes while your are trying to clean the affected area. Your hamster will be probably be squirming so just be careful. If the eye still looks like something is wrong the following day, take her to the vet right away. Any small cuts or other small injuries around the eye can cause a secondary infection. This infection can then spread to both eyes.
Older hamsters may develop cataracts. If your hamster’s eyes have a milky look, she probably has cataracts. Eventually, your hamster will become blind. Because hamsters are very near-sighted, being blind does not have a significant impact on their lives. Many hamsters will become quite shy after they go blind however. In most cases, your hamster will move about her cage like nothing is wrong.
Do not hesitate to follow up with your vet about any questions or concerns you may have about your hamster’s eyes and ears. Remember, do not put your hamster’s eyesight or her hearing in danger.
Be sure to visit Pets Care Store for all your hamster supply.
[...] Caring for Your Hamster Eyes and Ears [...]